As Trump makes case for border wall in Texas, Dems push back

EL PASO, Texas (AP) — President Donald Trump is headed to the Texas border to argue his case that walls work as Democrats spurn his demands for billions to build such a barrier.

Trump was bound for El Paso on Monday, aiming to reshape the debate around the wall with another government shutdown deadline looming and with his signature campaign promise hanging in limbo. In a case of pointed political counterprogramming, Democrat Beto O’Rourke planned an evening El Paso march and rally against the wall.

The first dueling rallies of the 2020 election season were set to serve as a preview of a heated yearslong fight over the direction of the country. And they made clear that Trump’s long-promised border wall is sure to play an outsized role in the presidential race.